Effect of a high-fat diet and chromium on hormones level and Cr retention in rats

Abstract

Aims The aim of the study was to determine how the administration of a high-fat diet supplemented with various forms of chromium to rats affects accumulation of this element in the tissues and levels of leptin, ghrelin, insulin, glucagon, serotonin, noradrenaline and histamine, as well as selected mineral elements. Methods The experiment was conducted on 56 male Wistar rats, which were divided into 8 experimental groups. The rats received standard diet or high fat diet (HFD) with addition of 0.3 mg/kg body weight of chromium(III) picolinate (Cr-Pic), chromium(III)-methioninate (Cr-Met), or chromium nanoparticles (Cr-NP). Results Chromium in organic forms was found to be better retained in the body of rats than Cr in nanoparticles form. However, Cr-Pic was the only form that increased the insulin level, which indicates its beneficial effect on carbohydrate metabolism. In blood plasma of rats fed a high-fat diet noted an increased level of serotonin and a reduced level of noradrenaline. The addition of Cr to the diet, irrespective of its form, also increased the serotonin level, which should be considered a beneficial effect. Rats fed a high-fat diet had an unfavourable reduction in the plasma concentrations of Ca, P, Mg and Zn. The reduction of P in the plasma induced by supplementation with Cr in the form of Cr-Pic or Cr-NP may exacerbate the adverse effect of a high-fat diet on the level of this element. Conclusion A high-fat diet was shown to negatively affect the level of hormones regulating carbohydrate metabolism (increasing leptin levels and decreasing levels of ghrelin and insulin).

Effect of Chromium Picolinate and Chromium Nanoparticles Added to Low- or High-Fat Diets on Chromium Biodistribution and the Blood Level of Selected Minerals in Rats

“…That process was clearly depicted under the standard low-fat dietary treatment by the highest and lowest retention values for CrPic and CrNPs, respectively. The addition of chromium in the form of CrPic to the high-fat diet resulted in decreased digestibility and retention of Cr in the rats, which corroborates our previous findings on the effect of dietary high-fat environment on the mineral utilization in the body [Stępniowska et al, 2022]. Chromium picolinate has been shown to exhibit hydrophobic properties and, therefore, to be easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in comparison to other forms of Cr, nicotinate or chloride, available in popular mineral supplements [DiSilvestro & Dy, 2007].…”

“…The Cr×D interaction showed that the highest percentage of Cr digestibility and retention indices followed the dietary treatments with LFD-CrPic, while the lowest values of these indices were noted in the rats fed LFD-CrNPs (in both cases p<0.05 vs. all other groups). It has been reported that Cr nanoparticles are better absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract than their organic counterparts [Stępniowska et al, 2022]. Indeed, in the present study, CrNPs were well absorbed in the intestine but at the same time that Cr form was not efficiently retained in the body's tissues and organs, as indicated by considerably diminished Cr retention (utilization) percentage.…”

“…Wang et al [2012], who administered Cr in the form of CrPic or CrNPs at a dietary dose of 200 µg/kg to pigs, did not observe different fecal and urinal excretion pattern between those two forms of chromium. In turn, Stępniowska et al [2022] noted a similar amount of chromium excreted with urine in rats fed diets supplemented with different chromium forms, i.e. picolinate, chromium-methionine, and as nanoparticles.…”

“…decreased in the rats fed the high-fat diet supplemented with CrPic as compared not only to the rats fed the LFD-CrPic but also to those administered LFD-CrNPs. Our recent research on growing rats revealed blood depletion of Ca, P, Mg, and Zn under the treatment with a diet rich in saturated fats (lard) [Stępniowska et al, 2022]. Interestingly, among three sources of additional chromium (chromium picolinate, chromium methionine, chromium nanoparticles) analyzed in that study, the greatest depletion effect of blood P concentration was upon Cr picolinate and the lowest one (insignificant compared to the control non-supplemented group) when the chromiummethionine was applied.…”

Oxidative, epigenetic changes and fermentation processes in the intestine of rats fed high-fat diets supplemented with various chromium forms

“…All diets had equal content of dietary protein from a casein preparation (20% of diet; Lacpol Co., Murowana Goslina, Poland) and DL-methionine (0.3% of diet), but the caloric density of the F diets was 23% higher than that of the S diets due to their increased fat content (25% vs. 8%). The mean measured Cr content in the diets without supplementation was 1.24 mg/kg, while in the diets with Cr-Pic, Cr-Met and Cr-NP—3.99, 4.02 and 4.03 mg/kg, respectively 68 . The chromium sources were added in the same amount to the S and F diets, resulting in a two-factorial design (see ‘Statistical analysis’ below).…”